Buying gifts for the holidays can be frustrating and mind boggling. Finding the perfect present requires insight into a person's likes, dislikes, wants, and needs. If you have this information, use it to buy a bespoke gift. If you don't have this information, there are a few gifts that are appreciated 90% of the time.
The key to a non-controversial gift is to 1) buy something of a transient nature or 2) buy a gift that a person can own more than one of the same thing without it being wasteful.
Scented Candles: Not everyone is a candle aficionado or recognizes complex scents are a luxury item. Some might even scoff at a candle as a gift. However, once you smell the deliciousness of a high quality candle, it's hard to deny that a gift for the olfactory sense can be as enjoyable as a gift for your taste buds. Check out, Top 10 Holiday Candles.
Coasters: Having more than one set of coasters is fun. You can set different moods with your tabletop by switching out one type of coaster for another. These little squares can make an bold statement without breaking the bank, and that's why they make great gifts. Check out, The Case for Coasters: Better Safe than Sorry!
Stemware: Glasses, like coasters, are tabletop accessories that are interchangeable depending on the situation. Having a variety of stemware at your fingertips expands your entertaining repertoire. Check out, Best Wine Glasses 2010 and Advice on Wines and Stemware
Napkins: Exactly the same principle as coasters and stemware. Check out, Bold and Graphic Cloth Napkins and Nifty Napkin Rings
Tea or Coffee: Since modern culture is completely dependent on caffeine almost everyone is a fan of either tea or coffee. Both of these items and their accessories can be bought as luxury goods. Check out, Modern Tea Sets and Coffee & the Works
Cleaning Supplies: Ok, there is something decidedly unglamorous about buying someone a toilet scrubber, but there a tons of new products on the market that basically turn cleaning solutions into aromatherapy. I can't think of a present I would enjoy more. Anything that makes cleaning less dreary is a good gift. Put the products in a cute basket, and I'm in heaven. Even if you're not the house cleaner, having your bathroom smell like fresh basil is so much better than the smell of faux lemon chemicals. Check out, Green Cleaning Products
Universal Charging Station: You can never have enough electronic chargers. Putting more than one in your house ensures that your gadgets will never be out of juice. It's convenient and some charging centers are very sleek. This gift will be appreciate by most, but you might want to pass if you're buying for grandma. Check out, Universal Charging Stations You Can Leave Out in the Open
Stationery: Even though handwritten notes are a lost art, most people still own stationary. It's both opulent and quaint, almost like a collector's item. Combining the traditions of the Holidays and the traditional gift of paper is always a warm and fuzzy crown pleaser. Check out, Good Questions: Good Old Fashioned Stationary?
Please let us know if you have ideas for reliable Holiday gifts!
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Comments (9)
I may be in the minority but I don't want others buying me stemware unless they know the kind I'd most want to have. The last thing I need is a set of unwanted wine glasses taking up space because I feel a need to keep and sue them when the gift-giver comes over.
Wow Indy, I promise not to ever get you any wine glasses...I don't want to be sued! Ha Ha
Charity benefit items, especially if you know what the recipient's charitable inclinations are. The pink Komen items or the AIDS benefit red products make good gifts; or local charity calendars or notecards or cookbooks. Austin rescue groups do calendars with musicians and their dogs and other fun things.
I agree with most of your suggestions (I saw some SASSY dishwashing gloves and fun Coasters at Sur la Table today!); and I agree with the comment that stemware is a stretch. Most folks have a favorite style they want to stick with; and you may be giving them the gift of a storage problem if they don't have space for more glasses.
Food is one category I turn to a lot. I usually give gift certificates or homemade brownies, cookies, breads & muffins, but there are lots of options depending on the occasion. Smoked fish or meats; cheeses & crackers; candies; even food delivery services for new moms or injured friends.
I also find that tea towels, ornaments, and cozy socks, like the Life is Good ones, make fun sort of universal gifts.
Cool topic - I hope others post more ideas!
Well, frankly I am a grandma and I think a charging station would make a grand gift! Choose gifts for the person, not their age!
Coasters are another nice idea. Still, I prefer to give food or wine if I don't know the person too well.
@ccatx - Agreed, though most of the products specifically geared toward charitable giving are not nearly as effective as...well, charitable giving.
If your friend would appreciate a charitable donation made in his or her name, I suggest making a donation to the charity of your friend's choice, rather than buying the product. 100% of the $30 donation will go to the charity, and will help support the organization (in various capacities), whereas the $30 you spend on the item that is linked to the charity will have a portion cut out to offset the cost of producing the item you've purchased.
As usual, use Charity Navigator to help you look at how different nonprofits use their funding.
hm, i'm not sure how i feel about some of these ideas. i mean, how many coasters can a person have? i would assume if one needs them, they're already in the home somewhere. i do, however, love the green-cleaning ideas. and those napkins are pretty frickin' cute! personally, i'm a big fan of good olive oil or honey, or a moderately scented candle.
Those particular wine coasters above are downright genius!
back @Pi - True, a cash donation will go farther towards the charitable purposes and most folks will certainly appreciate that. You're totally correct. Especially if you know the person and know if they've been deeply connected to a particular cause, a donation is a very thoughtful gift.
It's just that in many gifting situations I want an actual item, ideally something small and useful that they will use (like golf balls or kitchen towels or oven mitts or whatever), to give as opposed to an, "a donation has been made to XYZ charity" card. Nothing's wrong with making a donation and giving a card like that; it's just not always what I want to do.
Branded items like golf balls, bracelets, bumper stickers, stamps, umbrellas, etc. can also help spread the word about a cause in a visible way that accomplishes another aspect of advancing the cause beyond what a cash donation does.
In addition, items that support charities that are important to me can make good gifts even if the recipient doesn't know anything about the charity - like a cookbook or calendar or notecards put out by local animal rescue groups. Those support causes I love, while also being a nice gift for someone else. They may just think I gave them some cool notecards, without necessarily even knowing they benefit a local wildlife sanctuary.
Also, in some cases, the services and media to produce the items is donated to the charity, so the full price does go to the cause. This is especially the case with something like a cookbook that is edited by volunteers with paper, printing and binding donated by a sponsor. (Sure, you can argue that that sponsors and volunteers should instead just give the money, etc. ...).
Anyway, I don't mean to be argumentative.
My basic point is, charities (especially local ones around the holidays) often conduct these fundraisers, and they can make nice gifts.